Sing Solace to the Silent Moon
by Allen the Musician
Summary: Prequel to PeanutAngel's fic 'Gray Silence'. The line between friend and foe has been crossed and the affects will be far reaching. Exorcist and Noah... It's hard but you can put aside you differences for the greater good. All things are possible. 14th/OC
1. Night Song

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

A/N - Okay, so this is a prequel for a story written by a friend of mine titled Gray Silence. Yuki, as well as the title of the fic, belong to PeanutAngel who was gracious enough to allow me to write this.

Chapter One - Night Song

"_**Sing solace to the silent moon…"**_

The eerie sound of a lone wolf howling was all that could be heard on the clear night, the haunting cry seemingly issued directly to the full moon that hung overhead. Illuminating the landscape just as well as the sun that had preceded it. To the inhabitants of a small village nestled at the base of a cliff this wasn't exactly a welcome sound. They had already been plagued by the arrival of monsters, hideous creatures who seemed bent on destroying their town and taking the lives of everyone who called this place home. And as though that hadn't been bad enough now the howls of a wolf rent the air.

"This is a bad omen," one of the village elders whispered from the spot where a large group of people were huddled together. The ones who had survived the initial attack had sought shelter in one of the few remaining buildings that had yet to be destroyed and now they were simply waiting to find out what their fate would be.

"I know that this is the right place…" one of the creatures snarled as the collective group continued their destruction of the village. The people that they came across were killed without hesitation, completely meaningless in their eyes. The only thing that mattered was the object that they sought. "Lord Millennium can't have been wrong… Destroy everything in this place until we have the Innocence!"

"Found them…"

With a vicious snarl a wolf as white as newly fallen snow leapt from the cliff below which the village was nestled, seemingly flying through the air before landing mere feet from the creatures. The wolf bared it's fangs, bending low and assuming a fighting stance as it fearlessly faced the creatures. Any humans who saw the wolf would assume that it was merely an ordinary wild animal from the forest but the creatures knew different. They could tell, by the strange energy that radiated from the wolf, that it was anything but ordinary.

"Exorcist…" the leader of the group snarled, glaring at the snowy wolf through eyes that were filled with the purest hatred.

"So you actually figured it out," the wolf said in a decidedly feminine voice, gazing at the group through clear blue eyes. The tone of her voice was more than a little patronizing, making it clear that the she-wolf didn't think much of the assembled group. "And here I was thinking that you were too stupid."

"I'll show you…"

Not giving the creature time to finish with the threat that she knew he was preparing to make the wolf rushed forward, ripping out the beast's throat before he even managed to finish his sentence. The creature's startled cry came out as only a gurgle as blood quickly filled his throat. Blood splattered the wolf's white pelt but she paid it no heed as she whirled around and rushed toward the remainder of the group. An explosion illuminated the air behind her as she dashed from creature to creature, taking them out in a matter of seconds.

"You've saved us…"

The she-wolf turned as she heard this voice and her blue eyed gaze fell upon a rather haggard looking group of villagers. It was obvious that they had been hiding from the creatures that were ransacking their village and the wolf inclined her head to them before turning to leave. Now that the demons had been defeated they would be safe, which meant that as far as they were concerned her presence here was no longer required.

"You could have waited for me you know…" a male voice panted, catching the wolf's attention. Turning her head she watched as a tall man in a brown coat walked toward her, a rather bored expression on her face.

"And what would you have done had you been here Andre?" the wolf questioned, continuing on her way as the man fell into step beside her. Her paws hit the ground silently as she padded along, sniffing the air every so often.

"Um… probably nothing," the man named Andre was forced to admit. After all he wasn't an Exorcist so there wasn't really a lot that he could do in a battle but never the less it was his duty to accompany her on this mission. Orders were orders but the white wolf had a habit of making them difficult to follow owing to her penchant for always doing things on her own. "I mean I realize that I can't fight the Akuma like you can Yuki but… but I can still be useful. We are on the same team y'know."

"You're right," Yuki said, sparing him a glance over her shoulder. "You can be useful… so close your mouth and help me find the Innocence. That will be useful."

"Right."

Since Yuki had taken care of the Akuma, fairly effortlessly for that matter, the only task remaining was to locate the shard of Innocence that had drawn them to the village in the first place. Swishing her bushy tail from side to side Yuki made her way through the village… or to be more precise what remained of it. The Akuma had done a number on the place, leaving only a few buildings standing. Rubble littered the area and the scent of smoke was thick in the air.

And it was interfering with Yuki's delicate sense of smell.

Shaking her head in annoyance Yuki decided that this would be much easier in her other form. Taking a breath she shifted, the white wolf disappearing to be replaced by a young woman. Long white hair framed her face while the same piercing blue eyes gazed around with interest. Her white pelt had been replaced by creamy white skin and she wore a rather plain pair of black pants and a hooded black and white coat with a rather unusual cross decorating the left chest.

"Y'know," Andre commented as he gazed at Yuki. "No matter how many times I see you do that it always manages to freak me out."

Yuki merely shrugged. As one of the few remaining wolf/human hybrids she was accustomed to strange looks and people being uneasy around her. It was a fact of life and not a matter that really concerned the she-wolf since she maintained her distance from people, both physically and emotionally. Her upbringing had instilled in her the fact that trust should always be limited, no matter how well you knew the person to whom it was being given.

Her senses were somewhat dulled in this form but that made the stench of burning debris far more bearable, which had been the effect that she was seeking. Now she could completely focus her attention on the search for Innocence.

It seemed that if the Innocence were located directly in the village then the Akuma would have discovered it by now so Yuki decided to focus her search in the large field just outside the village. After all the Akuma had assembled in the village as well as the field and surrounding forest so obviously they didn't know the exact location of the Innocence.

"I can't believe my luck!"

Instantly on the alert Yuki's gaze shifted toward the source of this new and excited voice. Her gaze fell upon a rather large man with gray skin, his forehead decorated with a pattern of cross shaped scars. This new arrival practically radiated danger and Yuki felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she locked gazes with him. "Andre," Yuki said in a commanding tone, turning to her companion. Ever fiber of her being was screaming that this new arrival was dangerous and she didn't want the Finder to be caught up in the battle that was about to ensue. After all he was worse than useless in a battle. "Get out of here."

"But I can't…"

"Now!" the she-wolf snarled, glaring at him with an almost feral look in her blue eyes. "This is not a request!" She needed to impart upon him the fact that he needed to get as far away as humanly possible because she simply didn't have time for his stupidity right now. If he didn't hurry up and get away then the chances were good that he would be caught up in the fight. And if that happened the chances that she would be able to save him would drastically diminish.

Andre hesitated for a second longer before turning tail and running away. Despite his reluctance to leave Yuki to deal with this newcomer alone the fact remained that the man was scared.

"That was very brave Exorcist," the man said, dashing toward Yuki with blinding speed. Before the she-wolf could react the man had thrown a punch that caught her square in the stomach. Yuki wheezed as the breath was knocked from her body, her hands going to her stomach as she fought hard to draw air into her now burning lungs. "Very stupid but brave none the less."

"You… bastard…" Yuki gasped, glaring at the man through narrowed blue eyes. It had been a long time since she'd faced such a strong opponent and she had to admit that she didn't like to be on the receiving end of blows. It brought back less than pleasant memories.

"That wasn't very nice," the man sneered, a slightly sadistic light shining in his eerie golden eyes. Not giving her time to recover from his initial attack the man threw a few more punches, each leaving its mark on the Exorcist.

Yuki desperately wanted to shift into her wolf form, which was much better suited for battle and would keep this fight from being so one sided, but the man was keeping her constantly on the defensive. Which of course made the transformation next to impossible. Growling low in her throat she blocked one of his punches before throwing one of her own, catching him squarely in the nose. Roaring in anger the man backhanded the young woman, knocking her to the ground and causing flashes of light to explode before her eyes.

Kneeling on the ground Yuki glared up at her attacker with as much hatred as she could muster, her mind frantically trying to come up with a way to get out of this situation. It was fairly obvious, by the ease with which he had beaten her, that she was no match for the man. And yet she couldn't resign herself to death either.

"Shall I kill you now or let you suffer?" The smug look that was plastered all over the bastard's face only served to further infuriate Yuki and she did the first thing that came to mind.

She spat in the man's face.

Roaring in anger the man seized her by the neck, his grip constricting her airway as he pulled her upward. "Damn Exorcist!"

Through the haze in her brain caused by lack of oxygen Yuki could swear that she heard the sound of music. The faint melody reminded her vaguely of a lullaby and she briefly wondered if this was due to the fact that she was about to die. Was the song meant to comfort her at the end of her life?

"Drop her Adrian."

The command was given in a calm and even tone and, despite the fact that he didn't really want to, the large man obeyed it immediately. Releasing his grip on the woman he literally dropped her as he whirled around to face the new arrival. "Damn it 14th!" the man exclaimed, not even attempting to hide his displeasure over the interruption. He was irritated and didn't care if the other Noah did know it. "Can't you see that I'm killing an Exorcist here?"

The man's voice had a whining quality to it that made him sound almost like a kicked puppy… and one that was completely unbefitting a grown man. He didn't want to follow the man's orders but fully realized that he didn't have a choice in the matter. The Musician was second only to Road in the Earl's eyes so disregarding his orders would be a bad decision.

And even though he realized this fact that didn't make it any easier to live with.

"I can see that," the mahogany haired man said, his gray eyes focused on Adrian. He appeared bored with the entire situation as he continued, as though he couldn't be bothered to care exactly what the man was doing or about anything else for that matter. "But I'll take the pleasure in finishing her off. Why don't you return to the Ark? Lord Millennium may have mentioned something about a mission."

"Does it have to do with more Exorcists?" Adrian asked, his gaze focused on his 'sibling'.

The 14th shrugged noncommittally. "Perhaps."

Appearing excited about the prospect of a mission, despite the lack of information, Adrian nodded, turning toward the door that had been conveniently left open. Once the man had disappeared the Musician turned his attention to the woman, striding toward the spot where she was still kneeling on the ground. "And as for you…"

"Die!" Leaping up with a speed unrivaled by most humans Yuki was on her feet, a fist directed toward the smug looking man's jaw. Fully intent upon knocking the smug look from his face she put all of her remaining strength behind the blow. With a sigh the Musician easily caught her hand, twisting her arm behind her back and moving to stand behind her. "Bastard," the Exorcist snarled, the tiniest hint of frustration audible in her voice.

She wasn't accustomed to being on the losing end of a battle… at least not since her days in training with the pack.

"Now that wasn't a very ladylike thing to say," the Musician commented with a chuckle, the irritating smugness still present in not only his expression but also his tone.

Fighting against the hold that the man had on her arm Yuki almost succeeded in pulling free from his grasp. Growing annoyed with her struggles for freedom the Musician captured her other arm, pinning it behind her back and holding her securely against his body.

"I'm not going to hurt you." The mahogany haired man's voice was serious this time, not even the hint of a joke. Yuki tensed at this unexpected declaration, turning her head so that she could gaze at him over her shoulder. And for some reason the look in his eyes told her that he was telling the truth. Even her instincts had ceased screaming at her to fight tooth and nail for her escape. Relaxing just the tiniest bit she momentarily ceased her struggles for freedom. "Thank you." He lessened his grip enough so that she shouldn't be too uncomfortable but wasn't foolish enough to let her go completely.

Not until he had ascertained a few things.

A/N - End of the first chapter! Once again this is a prequel for the fic 'Gray Silence' by PeanutAngel and in recognition for her permission to write this I dedicate the story to her. Thanks again Cat! Hope that I didn't disappoint.


	2. The Musician

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Two - The Musician

For a moment all Yuki could do was gaze over her shoulder at the man who held her pinned. He was like none other that she had ever beheld, either in the human world or within her own kind, and there was something almost irresistible about him. Something that made you listen to him, despite any reservations that you might have.

And boy did she have reservations.

"Why aren't you going to kill me?" Her voice, that had been so full of fire mere minutes ago was now quiet and utterly defeated.

Which served to give the Noah pause. Quiet honestly this was the last thing that he had expected of her and it took the man a moment to recover from the surprise. He glanced at the young woman for a long moment before chuckling and continuing on with his prepared speech. Voice low, he spoke in a hypnotic and musical tone that more than compelled the female that he held pinned against his body to listen to him. Whether she wanted to or not. "I plan on revolting against the Earl and the other Noah. I've grown rather tired of their repetitive tirade to destroy humanity but the fact remains that I cannot defeat them alone. To that end I have assembled a large group of people already who are willing to fight for my cause. Including a few Exorcists."

Yuki was beyond surprised by his declaration that he had Exorcists on his side. She wasn't even sure of how that was possible and she gasped. "How did the Innocence not reject them?" She had heard tales from the members of the Science Department of the so called 'Fallen Ones' who had betrayed their Innocence and thus ended up with their bodies corrupted. All ended up destroyed by their very own Innocence. So how was that not the case with this man's allies?

A slight grin appeared on the face of the Musician. "There is a loophole; so long as you are following your heart the Innocence tends not to care to which side you belong. Either that or it's because of the fact that I may as well be considered a traitor to my family. If they join the neutral side, 'god' shouldn't really care." The Noah paused at this point, allowing the young woman a few brief moments to allow all of this to sink in before he continued. "So will you join my cause?" When she didn't answer immediately, he thought that she was worried about leaving the Order behind. Seeking to offer her a measure of reassurance he offered a compromise. "You can stay in the Order if you'd like. It would be helpful to have a person on the inside…"

"Why would you go against the Earl and the very being that you are?" The surprise was still evident in her voice, which was still quiet and containing a note of wariness.

So that was what had her wary of him, eh? The 14th was amused, but he knew that beating around the bush would do no good if he wanted this woman to join him.

Only the truth would do. So it was the truth that he would have to give to her. And hope that she believed him because he knew that her powers would prove useful in the upcoming war against the Earl.

"I have a brother that I seek to protect. The Earl can't really think that by killing humanity he'll become a god or something, can he? So I'm taking matters into my own hands. I shall take the Earl's place, but to make the world a better place to exist in." His face grew soft as he thought about his childhood. About the days that he and Mana had spent together, of the time that they had shared. "There are too many bad things that happen to kind, innocent people. They don't deserve that." Then he coughed, trying to cover up his raw emotions. The Musician had always sought to conceal the fact that he even had emotions but for some reason, with this woman, that mask was harder to keep in place. "And I am the 14th member of a family that has always had 13. I am the odd man out, per say."

Yuki thought about his words, finding it decidedly odd that this murderer could have a family. But then she stopped to think about how truly absurd this train of thought was. Of course he'd had a family at some point, he was just like everyone else after all. And, despite the fact that he had been allied with the Earl, the she-wolf couldn't help but think that even he deserved a second chance. Aside from that there was also the fact that he could effortlessly kill her should she decide to decline his offer, lest she inform someone and ruin his plans. Hell, for that matter he could kill her anyway… most likely without even breaking a sweat. Being part wolf she was far from weak and he hadn't even struggled to hold her when she had still been seeking her freedom.

This was one of the few times in her life when she was actually indecisive. Life in the pack had dictated that decisions be made quickly… their lives had depended upon it. This same fact held true for life as an Exorcist and Yuki quickly went over the facts in her head, thinking long and hard about what decision she should make.

Because their would be no going back once a decision had been reached.

For his part the Musician stood there brooding, actually afraid that she may reject his offer. He wanted for the girl in his grasp to agree to join his side but there was a real possibility that she wouldn't. After all it would almost seem like a betrayal to her comrades at the Black Order. Then there was the fact that a part of him, the Noah inside, that was screaming loudly for her death. For the death of all Exorcists and the destruction of the Innocence that they possessed. But he could suppress this desire and, for some unknown reason, the white haired young woman intrigued him on a level that no person ever had before. He couldn't understand why she enticed him so, why there was a part of him that was begging for her agreement.

As it was he awaited her answer with baited breath… yet making every effort to maintain his cool façade.

Yuki's blue eyes held a thoughtful look as she finally reached a decision. One that would have affects that were far reaching. "Very well, I will join your cause."

The very moment that the words left her mouth, the 14th found himself wanting to jump for joy. He had been certain that she would refuse and when she agreed his pulse rate quickened. He managed to restrain himself, refusing to show any outward emotion, and finally released his grip on her arms.

Rubbing her sore wrists Yuki slowly turned to face her capture turned ally. "May I ask what your name is?"

The Musician gained a far off expression as she asked this seemingly innocent question, his thoughts going back to a life that seemed like an eternity ago. "You may call me the 14th or the Musician," he whispered in a quiet, and yet still musical tone. "I forgot my true name long ago."

Yuki couldn't help but pick up on the slight note of sadness that his musical voice contained. It was obvious that he was trying to hide it but her keen senses picked up on it none the less. Pausing a moment she held her hand out to him, watching as he stared at it for a few moments before finally grasping it in his own. Shaking his hand she offered him a rather roguish grin. "And my name is Yuki."

The 14th nodded, to show that he had heard, vowing in that moment that hers was the one name that he would never forget. "A very fitting name," he said, tentatively reaching out and touching a strand of her long, white hair.

Slightly surprised by the action the she-wolf didn't know how to react at first. And, by the time that she had recovered somewhat, the Musician had removed his hand and taken a couple of steps away from her. He continued to gaze at her though his expression was impossible to read, even for her.

"What are you…"

But Yuki didn't get the opportunity to complete the question that had been on the tip of her tongue. "Yuki!" a male voice called out, sounding more than a little concerned. A second voice joined in the call, and then a third.

"Appears as though your comrade has found reinforcements," the Musician stated casually, the mask once again in place. Effectively hiding his emotions. "You should go and meet them." "But what about you?" Yuki questioned, not sure about how they were going to progress with their alliance from this point on.

"I'll send word to you," the 14th said, holding out his hand and summoning what looked like a strange portal. Inclining his head ever so slightly to the she-wolf, the Noah stepped through the gateway and was gone.

Staring after him Yuki blinked a couple of times, unsure whether everything that had just happened had been real or else a very vivid dream. "Did I seriously just agree to join forces with one of the Earl's subordinates?" she thought to herself as she waited for the others to join her. She would have made a move to meet them halfway but her feet seemed rooted to the ground.

"Yuki…" Andre wheezed, coming to a stop a few feet from the spot where the young woman was standing. Placing his hands on his knees the Finder took a few minutes to catch his breath before once again lifting his gaze to meet hers. "What happened to that guy?" he questioned as two of her fellow Exorcists arrived to join them.

These two were fairly new to the Black Order and Yuki found it absolutely ludicrous that Andre had managed to beat them to her location. These two pups wouldn't last long if they didn't increase their strength and stamina but Yuki chose not to say anything about it.

"He just left," Yuki said, deciding that it wasn't really a lie. More like a creative way of avoiding the truth. Because essentially the man had just left, though of course it had been on the orders of the 14th. "But I appreciate the fact that you went for help Andre." Having said this she inclined her head to the Finder before turning her attention to the others. "Now that you're here we should concentrate on finding the Innocence so that we can return to headquarters."

The two young males nodded their heads before going off in separate directions.

For her part Yuki continued on the trail that she had been following before the arrival of that large Noah and, within a matter of minutes, had located a large rock that seemed to give off an otherworldly green glow. Being familiar with the telltale signs of Innocence, a grin spread across Yuki's face.

"Found it," she announced needlessly, picking up the medium sized rock. She could more than likely find a way to break it open to get at the Innocence but decided that it wasn't worth either her time nor her effort. She would leave that for the guys in the Science Division. After all they needed something to do lest they become bored and cause trouble.

"Go and round up those other guys," Yuki said, glancing at Andre over her shoulder. "I'll meet you all at the train station… And hurry up because if the train comes I'm not waiting for you."

"Right," Andre said, having grown accustomed to such declarations from the wolf. Turning around he went off in search of the two young Exorcists that had arrived at the two that very day, searching for the same Innocence that Yuki had retrieved. The Finder was fairly certain that they wouldn't be happy that the female had bested them but he was equally certain that they would keep their thoughts on the matter to themselves.

At least if they liked all of their body parts in working order.

Carrying the rock that contained the piece of Innocence prevented Yuki from assuming her wolf form but she shrugged off this annoyance. It would have made the trip to the train station quicker but the she-wolf had more than enough to keep her thoughts occupied during the trek across the destroyed town. "I seriously just joined forces with one of the Earl's subordinates…" The truth of this hit her at this moment and Yuki found herself hoping that she hadn't just made a grave error in judgment. "I really hope that this doesn't come back to haunt me later," she muttered as she sat down on a bench at the train station to await the arrival of the train that would take her back to the headquarters of the Black Order. "But I truly think that I made the right decision."

Only time would tell whether or not she was correct.

A/N - End of chapter two! A portion of this chapter was taken from 'Gray Silence'. Thank you PA, you're wonderful! Hope that you guys enjoyed.


	3. The Black Order

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Three - The Black Order

The fact that it was the middle of the night made the wait for a train unbearably long, a fact that the white wolf hadn't really taken into consideration when she was hurrying to the station. And one that was causing her annoyance level to grow exponentially with each tick of a nearby clock. Yuki was joined after awhile by the Finder, who was trailing behind the pair of young Exorcists whom he had sent to her aid. Not that they had been of any assistance since they hadn't arrived until the danger had already gone.

But then again that was something that she had come to expect so it didn't really phase her in the slightest.

"Typical males," she thought to herself, rolling her blue eyes toward the sky.

Yuki realized that she should be grateful that Andre had even made the attempt to find help instead of merely running off and leaving her to the mercy of her attacker but she just couldn't muster that particular emotion. It would have been difficult under normal circumstances but at present it was impossible. Especially since she had been up all night, fighting Akuma and tracking Innocence, not to mention the fact that she had actually agreed to join forces with someone in the employ of the Millennium Earl.

"It's official," she muttered under her breath, wishing that the train would hurry up and arrive. She didn't like to remain in one place for too long and the length of time that she had spent waiting for the train already qualified as such. And was only causing her annoyance level to grow exponentially with each minute that passed by, as well as making her debate destroying that damnable clock that hung on the wall. "I've lost what little sanity I had left."

"What was that Yuki?" Andre questioned from his position across from the she-wolf. He was gazing at her intently, wondering what exactly was up and yet unable to read her expression. He could tell by the look that something was on her mind but hadn't managed to pick up on her barely audible words.

Which was good since they hadn't really been meant for others to hear.

"Nothing of importance," she replied in a forced casual tone, waving her hand dismissively. Nothing that had transpired this day was for public consumption and Yuki knew, without a doubt, that if she were to tell anyone from the Black Order that she would instantly be branded a traitor. They may be fighting on the side of God but they were far from a forgiving lot and anyone who even appeared to pose a threat was not suffered to live.

Whether the threat be real or imagined.

Not that this was altogether different from life in the pack but that wasn't a thought that Yuki wished to dwell on either. Her pack was allied with the Earl and fought against the Exorcists, which had made her an outcast among their ranks the moment she chose to join the other side. But the white wolf chose not to think to heavily on that fact. She had made her choice and joined the Black Order, despite the hardships that she knew the life would entail. And feeling regret for past actions wasn't a past time that she allowed herself to indulge in.

For his part Andre didn't look as though he were completely convinced by her words but, to his credit, he knew better than to question the answer that she gave. Mainly because doing so would only get him snapped at and he still wouldn't get a different answer. So it was just best to leave well enough alone.

A hard learned lesson but one that he had taken to heart none the less.

* * *

Just as the tip of the fiery orange sun appeared beyond the horizon the sound of a train's whistle could be heard approaching the station from a distance. Yuki was aware of it's impending arrival for quite some time before it actually arrived at the station and she covered up her ears the moment that the whistle sounded. The others weren't as observant. The three males who had been dozing in their seats awoke with a start, barely managing to keep themselves from tumbling from their chairs, causing Yuki to chuckle softly. The expressions on their faces were priceless and she found herself vaguely wondering how they had managed to remain alive for so long.

In her world leaving one's guard down in such a manner would almost certainly have ended in death at a young age. Her kind was trained from puppy hood to always be on the lookout for the danger that was lurking around every corner and behind every tree. Luckily for them such was not the case in the society that they had been born into, not having been with the Black Order for very long. Survival of the fittest was a fairly new concept for them.

And one that they had better fully embrace or else their days upon their earth were numbered… and the number was a very low one.

Getting to her feet the she-wolf stretched her arms up over her head before retrieving the Innocence laden rock that she had stowed beneath her seat. "Let's go," she said, turning and making her way toward the train without so much as a backwards glance to the men that she had just spoken to. They could either follow or remain behind, she didn't really care much either way. Her mission had been to destroy the Akuma that were plaguing this town and track down any Innocence that they might be targeting, not baby-sit a group of inept males.

As the group boarded the train the person taking tickets took one look at the crests that adorned their jackets and directed them to a private car. Sauntering inside, leading the group as always, Yuki chose a seat next to the window, leaving the others to fight over where they were going to sit. Gazing out the window the she-wolf let her thoughts wander back to her meeting with the Musician.

He had been strange and admittedly terrifying at first. But after listening to him speak, and the earnestness that his voice had contained, Yuki had found herself willing to trust him. Despite the fact that she knew he was in the employ of the Millennium Earl.

Someone that she had sworn to see the end of with her own eyes.

This thought was more than a little disconcerting but the musical lilting voice of the young man had bade her to listen and his words had been enticing. This and the fact that she hadn't sensed a lie had helped in her decision to put her trust in the young Noah. He was building a resistance against the Earl and it seemed to her that his group would stand more of a chance than her own. Because he was also gathering those who had been chosen by Innocence… plus there was the fact that he had intimate knowledge of the enemy.

That would be a tremendous help in the struggle that was to come.

As always there was a small voice in the back of her mind that was telling her to be wary in whom she placed her trust. Life experience had instilled in her a caution that made it difficult to trust others and yet, for whatever reason, she was opting to ignore this self preservation instinct in favor of the dangerous and completely unknown. A choice that she was whole-heartedly committed to but also one that she was fervently hoping didn't come back to bite her in the ass later. "I swear, if he's lying to me, I WILL rip his throat out…" the she-wolf thought to herself.

"Wow…" a voice said suddenly, breaking into Yuki's thoughts and causing the she-wolf to gaze over at one of the young Exorcists who was sharing the compartment with a raised brow. The young male seemed somewhat surprised that she had actually looked up, as was obvious by his facial expression, but felt the need to finish his statement none the less. "That was a really scary look… What were you thinking about just now?"

Andre sensed trouble but didn't make a move to prevent it, secretly glad that it was the boy and not himself.

"What you'd taste like," Yuki retorted without so much as batting an eyelash. The younger Exorcist actually paled and shrank back away from the female, thinking that she was telling him the truth, but Yuki couldn't keep up the charade for very long. Making a face she suddenly stuck out her tongue as though gagging. "Bleh… nasty thought that."

"What?" the young man said, looking slightly offended by her words. "I bathe regularly."

"O~kay," Yuki said, wishing that she had just kept her mouth shut. Unfortunately when it came to that filter between the brain and mouth that told a person when not to say something, she simply didn't have it. If it popped into her head then the chances were very good that it would come out of her mouth, which of course had the tendency to get her into trouble but that was just something that she had learned to deal with long ago. And yet something that she was currently regretting owing to the direction that the conversation had taken. "Your bathing habits aren't really something that I need to be made aware of. So I'm going to pretend that this conversation didn't happen and go back to looking at the window… and I suggest that you do the same."

It was more than a suggestion, it was an order. And, to his credit, the young male had the sense to interpret it as such.

* * *

The remainder of the train ride back to the headquarters of the Black Order passed by uneventfully and Yuki was on her feet before the train had even lurched to a stop. She had grown restless long ago and was more than ready for the trip to come to an end. Grabbing the piece of Innocence that she had retrieved the she-wolf left the train, leaping to the platform before it even came to a complete stop.

"That was dangerous!" Andre called out from the window of the compartment that the others from the Black Order still occupied. He honestly hadn't expected for her to jump from a moving train and couldn't help but gape.

Not even breaking stride Yuki called out over her shoulder, "That wouldn't even have been dangerous if I were normal."

Having said this Yuki continued on her way down the path that would lead her to the headquarters of the Black Order. She knew that it would take the others much longer to reach the summit where the large tower loomed but was unconcerned by this fact. Her current objective was to deliver the piece of Innocence and then await her next assignment. Assuming she had the patience to hang around that long. She had been known to leave of her own volition when missions were few and far between.

Staying in one place just didn't agree with her.

The white wolf arrived at the Black Order in much the same way that she had left, without fuss or fanfare. Unlike the majority of the other Exorcists she didn't need or want recognition for what she had done and thus didn't seek the praise of others. In fact she went through a lot of unnecessary trouble in order to hide the fact that she had returned. After gaining admittance through the front gate Yuki made her way to Hevlaska's chambers. Unlike all of the other Exorcists Yuki didn't report to the Branch Chief's office upon returning from an assignment. There was no point seeing as the man would simply order her to take the Innocence to the guardian's chamber and she could do this just fine without being told.

So she chose that option and cut out the middle man so to speak.

"I'm not a mindless puppet that has to be told to do everything," she had spat out the one and only time that the Chief had made a big deal of this fact. After that the man had opted to allow the wolf to do as she pleased, so long as she completed her missions.

"Welcome," an ethereal voice called out as Yuki entered the chambers, using the floating platform to descend to Hevlaska's level. "I'm glad to see you back safe and sound."

Yuki inclined her head. Hevlaska was one of the few who said things like that and actually meant them. Holding out the rock that she had retrieved she spoke in an uncharacteristically soft tone. "I'm pretty sure it's Innocence," she said as she held it out. "Of course you'll have to verify this fact."

Reaching out with one of her tentacle like hands Hevlaska took the rock that Yuki was holding up. A green light surrounded it for a second the moment that the guardian touched it and after that the rock shattered into dust.

Revealing a very familiar green object.

"You've done well," Hevlaska said as she secured the piece of Innocence inside her body.

"Thank you," Yuki said, inclining her head once again before turning to take her leave. She felt as though she had been awake for about a week straight and wanted nothing more than to return to her room and relax for a little while. Downtime at the Order was so sporadic that she had learned to take advantage of it when it was available… at least up to a certain point. After that she grew restless and had to leave.

But in the present moment she was looking forward to some well earned, and much needed, sleep. Returning to her room, which was even more sparsely furnished than those of the other inhabitants of the Order, Yuki removed her Exorcist's coat before shifting to her wolf form and lying down on the bed. Placing her muzzle on her front paws the she-wolf gazed at the walls, once again allowing herself to become lost in thought.

Thoughts of the Musician.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.


	4. Restless

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Four - Restless

After a couple of hours of rather fitful sleep Yuki's blue eyes fluttered open and the she-wolf gazed around for a moment through the haze that often accompanies just waking from sleep. As her vision cleared she noted, from the position of the sun outside her one small window, that it was mid-afternoon. This was the only way to mark the passage of time because she didn't have a clock in her room… for that matter she had very few furnishings. The bed on which she slept, as well as a chair that she normally draped her Exorcist's jacket over. That was the extent of it. There was also a small closet where she hung her few articles of clothing but the truth was that she required very little. Her life with the pack had prepared her for a life of hardship and, to be truthful, what little she had at the Order would be considered luxury after that. But that didn't mean that it was better.

Yuki was a creature of instinct and was more than capable of surviving without any of it; and not just of surviving but flourishing.

With this thought in mind the white wolf leapt easily from the bed, not even bothering to shift into her human form. By now the other members of the Black Order were accustomed to seeing her in such a manner and since she wouldn't be around them for more time than it took to get outside she saw no need to transform. She needed some fresh air and a chance to clear her head and mull over everything that had happened on her last mission. For this she would retreat to the forest outside headquarters, having always enjoyed the peace that it offered. For no one else ever ventured there.

As she padded down the halls, away from her room and toward the front door, Yuki regarded each person that she passed. Some of them she didn't like, most of them she tolerated, and there were a very few that she actually liked. The few that hadn't treated her any different just because she happened to be a wolf/human hybrid. They were among the exceptionally rare who saw only the person on the inside and not what was on the outside.

What was on the inside…

As these thoughts reverberated in her mind Yuki couldn't keep herself from once again conjuring up an image of the Noah that she had met while on her last mission. The lithe man with the piercing eyes; eyes that had bored into her soul and a melodious voice that had compelled her to listen to his words even while every instinct that she possessed had been screaming for her to escape by any means possible.

"And that was the beginning of one of the strangest encounters of my life," Yuki thought to herself as she left headquarters, stepping out into the bright sun. Stretching her front paws slightly, Yuki crouched low in an effort to elicit a spine-aligning pop. Feeling the vertebrae realigning Yuki straightened up, enjoying the feel of the sun on her snowy white pelt for a moment before she turned and loped toward the forest. There was a path that led into the shady depths of the forest but Yuki didn't keep to the trail. Raising her muzzle into the air she sniffed the wind for a moment before choosing her direction and moving at a steady trot, her keen eyes focused on her chosen path.

"So much for a relaxing moment to clear my head," she muttered to herself as she caught the familiar scent of Akuma. She was still too far away to determine how many of them there were but knew that she would have to do something about it since they were way too close to headquarters.

It simply wouldn't do for the Earl to discover their whereabouts since that would make their battle exceedingly more difficult.

"I can't believe that with all their anti-Akuma security measures this still managed to elude their knowledge," Yuki grumbled under her breath as she loped through the forest at a steady pace.

"Well in their defense people do tend to turn a blind eye to that which they do not wish to acknowledge," a calm and eerily familiar voice called out, adding to a conversation that had been intended to be wholly one sided.

Skidding to a halt Yuki turned to the side to see the silhouette of the Musician standing mere feet away from her. Here she had been bemoaning the fact that the humans hadn't been aware of the presence of the Akuma and then she completely missed the fact that there was a henchman of the Earl within easy striking distance. Her blue eyes flashed as she snarled, "Unacceptable."

"And in your defense I only just arrived here," the Musician said, his voice melodious as always. There was a rather roguish grin spread across his face as he gazed at the wolf, speaking to her as though he could read her thoughts and knew exactly why it was that she was so annoyed.

"Typical male," Yuki said with a scoff, refusing to allow him to know how close to the mark he had been. "You automatically assume that I'm thinking of you."

"So what were you thinking of then?" the young Noah challenged, his eyes locked onto the she-wolf. "If not me."

"The Akuma," Yuki replied without hesitation, deciding that a half lie wouldn't be quite as bad as a blatant one. And she had initially been thinking of the Akuma, at least until the Musician had shown up. "So is that your doing?"

"Hardly," the Musician stated in a calm manner as he fell into step beside Yuki. "I would never resort to such crass methods. It's merely happenstance that they and I are here at the same time."

"So then why exactly are you here?" Yuki asked as she once again continued on her way, deciding that the two of them could talk just as easily while she made her way toward the Akuma. Because the fact that the Noah was here didn't really change the fact that she had to do away with the creatures before they stumbled upon headquarters.

That is assuming that they didn't already know where it was.

That thought actually served to send a shiver down Yuki's spine but she suppressed these feelings that served no purpose. She would simply track down the Akuma and destroy them… and hope that the Musician hadn't been lying when he had told her that his allegiance was no longer to the Earl.

"Guess I'll burn that bridge when I come to it," she thought to herself, twisting a familiar saying so that it was more to her liking.

"You seem oddly distracted," the Musician observed, gazing down at her from his spot at her side. He seemed to have no difficulty keeping pace with her, a fact that surprised Yuki to a small degree.

"How could I not be distracted?" Yuki countered, rolling her blue eyes toward the heavens. He really was a typical male. "I have to go and get rid of the Earl's henchmen before they find the headquarters of the Exorcists… because it would be decidedly bad if the fat bastard gained that particular knowledge."

"That would indeed be a tragedy…"

Yuki's eyes flashed as she heard his rather flippant tone about this serious situation and she suddenly turned on him with a snarl. "I swear, if this is all a trap or something, I will rip out your throat."

"A decidedly unpleasant thought no matter how you look at it," the Musician said, not really seeming all that intimidated by her threat. But he did admire the fact that she was brave enough to issue it, even in light of the fact that he had already proven that he could kill her. "And I have no need for traps… they're merely a waste of time."

His tone was arrogant but his words seemed sincere enough so Yuki turned away from him once more. Her keen sense of smell alerted her to the fact that they were growing very close to the Akuma and she quickened her pace in response to this fact. The sooner she dispatched them then the better off she would be.

There would be time enough to deal with the Noah after that.

"Look," a voice called out from a nearby clearing, having apparently noticed that someone was approaching. And seeming to know that the new arrival had ties to the Black Order. "It'sssss an Exorcisssst."

Yuki's left ear twitched as she noted the hissing quality to the voice and, as she and the Musician entered the clearing, she became aware of the reason behind it. The lone level two of the group looked like an odd mechanical serpent of some sort.

"L-L-Lord Noah…" The level two seemed astonished to find the Musician trailing along beside the Exorcist but the Noah didn't even acknowledge the creature. He merely positioned himself against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for Yuki to take care of the assembled Akuma. He could easily dispatch them himself, without so much as moving from his current spot, but was resolved to allow the Exorcist to take care of things.

For various reasons.

"You should focus less on him and more on me," Yuki snarled as she leapt toward the Akuma, using the distraction caused by the Musician to her full advantage. Snapping her jaws she just barely missed tearing out the Akuma's throat; the beast dodging her attack at the last possible moment.

The Musician gazed on, his eyes calculating as he watched Yuki dodge the Akuma's attack before launching another of her own. In truth there were several reasons why he had followed her to this place, not least of all the desire to see her battle skills in action. Granted this wasn't the main reason for his intrigue but the young man was still in denial about those particular feelings so it was best to just not address the issue at present.

"Damn you Exorcissst!" the level two hissed as Yuki swiped him with one of her large front paws, her claws raking across his side and tearing it open. The creature turned to his companions, a group of level ones. "Don't jusssst sssstand there… attack!"

Spurred on by this command the group of level ones flew forward, each one pointing a large number of guns toward the wolf. Teeth bared Yuki leapt forward, ricocheting from each Akuma and destroying it as she went. All that could be seen was a blur of white dodging through the group, large explosions following along in her wake.

"Impressive," the Musician mused, watching as the remnants of the level one Akuma fell to the ground in the wake of the she-wolf. She really was a force to be reckoned with, which made him feel that the choice that he had made had been a good one. She would most definitely be of use to his plans.

Baring her fangs Yuki turned back toward the level two, the only one remaining at this point. "And now for you," she growled, her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the serpent creature. The Akuma had merely stood by as she had destroyed his companions, seemingly too stunned to use her moment of distraction to his advantage.

"Now let's see how she plays this one out," the young Noah muttered, his arms still crossed over his chest as he gazed on. His calculating eyes were analyzing everything that he witnessed, the Musician all the while plotting how this would play into his grand master plan.

Crouching low Yuki waited for the Akuma to attack, her eyes never leaving the face of her opponent. She would give him a couple of moments to initiate an attack but if it took too long then she would be forced to take actions of her own. Because she simply didn't have the patience to deal with the creature's stupidity right now. It took a few moments but the serpent finally decided to attack, leaping forward in a head on offensive.

Which was just stupid.

Yuki easily dodged the attack, skidding to the side and whirling around to snap at the Akuma. Her jaws once again came within inches of the creature but she didn't let this fact discourage her. Patience was a virtue in battle and Yuki had been taught from an early age that anger would only lessen your chances of victory.

And giving the enemy any sort of an advantage usually ended in swift death.

Dodging to the left and then to the right in rapid succession Yuki managed to disorient the Akuma. He couldn't seem to keep up with her, only able to see flashes of white, and the she-wolf used this to her advantage. Leaping forward her front paws collided with the creature, knocking him to the ground. Without hesitation Yuki used her fangs to rip out his throat, leaping away just in time to escape the ensuing explosion.

Panting slightly owing to the exertion of the battle Yuki turned her attention back to the Musician. "So did you gather the information that you needed?" she questioned smugly.

All the Musician could do was gape, once again astonished by exactly how perceptive she was. "I may have just met my match with this one," he couldn't help but think to himself as Yuki continued to gaze at him with that smug expression on her face.

That had to be a first.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. Please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you thought.


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